Number of people employed in agriculture in Zambia
Zambia: Number of people employed in agriculture was 4.11 million people in 2025. ▲ Rising
Number of people employed in agriculture in Zambia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of people employed in agriculture in Zambia is 4.11 million people, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.2% on the previous year and up 34.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people employed in agriculture in Zambia peaked at 4.11 million people in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1.49 million people, in 1991.
Zambia ranks 35th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Number of people employed in agriculture in Zambia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1.49 million people | — |
| 1992 | 1.52 million people | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 1.56 million people | +2.4% |
| 1994 | 1.61 million people | +3.3% |
| 1995 | 1.69 million people | +4.8% |
| 1996 | 1.76 million people | +4.1% |
| 1997 | 1.85 million people | +5.0% |
| 1998 | 1.93 million people | +4.7% |
| 1999 | 2.00 million people | +3.3% |
| 2000 | 2.05 million people | +2.8% |
| 2001 | 2.12 million people | +3.5% |
| 2002 | 2.19 million people | +3.1% |
| 2003 | 2.25 million people | +2.9% |
| 2004 | 2.31 million people | +2.7% |
| 2005 | 2.38 million people | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 2.54 million people | +6.8% |
| 2007 | 2.71 million people | +6.7% |
| 2008 | 2.89 million people | +6.6% |
| 2009 | 2.81 million people | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 2.70 million people | -3.8% |
| 2011 | 2.75 million people | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 2.76 million people | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 2.86 million people | +3.6% |
| 2014 | 2.96 million people | +3.4% |
| 2015 | 3.05 million people | +3.1% |
| 2016 | 3.17 million people | +4.0% |
| 2017 | 3.29 million people | +4.0% |
| 2018 | 3.33 million people | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 3.36 million people | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 3.65 million people | +8.7% |
| 2021 | 3.69 million people | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 3.64 million people | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 3.93 million people | +7.9% |
| 2024 | 4.02 million people | +2.4% |
| 2025 | 4.11 million people | +2.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.71 million people | 1.49 million people | 2.00 million people | 9 |
| 2000s | 2.43 million people | 2.05 million people | 2.89 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.02 million people | 2.70 million people | 3.36 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.84 million people | 3.64 million people | 4.11 million people | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 32 Ghana 4.44 million people compare
- 33 Peru 4.22 million people compare
- 34 Afghanistan 4.22 million people compare
- 36 Sudan 4.03 million people compare
- 37 Iran, Islamic Republic of 3.69 million people compare
- 38 Russian Federation 3.65 million people compare
More agriculture & rural data for Zambia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 65.37 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0411 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 54.11 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.97 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5408 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 4.1% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 4.1% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.4% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people employed in agriculture in Zambia?
- Number of people employed in agriculture in Zambia was 4.11 million people in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people employed in agriculture recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 4.11 million people in 2025.
- What is the lowest number of people employed in agriculture recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.49 million people in 1991.
- How does Zambia rank for number of people employed in agriculture?
- Zambia ranks 35th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is number of people employed in agriculture rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 34.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people employed in agriculture. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of people working in agriculture, including hunting, forestry and fishing.